Note: The majority of the information presented here is present in the public domain. It has appeared in either the print media or the Hokie Huddler, or it has been repeated by Hokie representatives at various public gatherings.
Sources are identified where possible. Numbers, costs, and dates are highly subject to change. This information represents our best guess based on published articles, public statements, and rumors from good sources.

Expansion Summary

Beginning in 1999, Lane Stadium began undergoing extensive expansion. In bullet form, total expansion is planned for completion in the year
2005 and includes, in chronological order:

approx. 5500 metal bleacher seats in the North end zone, built in two phases
-- complete.

A video scoreboard in the North end zone -- complete.

11,000 seat structure in the South end zone, including luxury suites club
seats, and media rooms and visitors locker room. Construction starts May 2001, ends in time for 2002 season -- complete.

Expanded press tower with luxury boxes and
indoor and outdoor club seats atop the West stands. Construction to begin in
2004 and be complete in time for the 2005 season.

Upon completion, Lane Stadium will have a
capacity of 66,233 fans.

Updates:

West Side Expansion Update (added 6/17/04):
In August of 2003, the VT Board of Visitors (BOV) approved a final model for the
expansion to Lane Stadium's West side, with the following highlights (per a
Roanoke Times article from 8/26/03 on the topic):

Cost: $52.5 million.

Capacity: Increase from 65,115 to 66,233
(actual seating from 63,699 to 65,167).

West Side Expansion Update (added 6/13/03): In early June of 2003, VT received
$1.9 million in donations to push forward with planning for the West Side expansion, despite the uncertainty of ACC
expansion raiding the Big East.

It was also reported at the time that the BOV was considering a $53 million expansion
plan, instead of the $48 million plan previously approved in August 2002. August 2002 plan: 800 indoor club seats and
15-18 luxury boxes, $48 million. Prospective new plan: 2000 indoor club seats, 23 luxury boxes, $53 million.

The BOV will meet in August of 2003 to (a) set a timetable for construction -- if
construction starts at the end of the 2003 season, it could be ready in time for the 2005 season; (b) settle on a design
-- they'll either stay with the $48 million design or select the $53 million design.

For more info, please see the related
article by Mark Berman of the Roanoke Times.

Summary of West Side Expansion Status (added 4/10/03): In August of 2002, the VT
Board of Visitors approved the West Side expansion plan described here -- scroll down for details -- including 800
indoor club seats, stadium clubs, 15-18 luxury boxes, and an expanded/renovated press box (please see the related
article by Mark Berman of the Roanoke Times).

This design represented a change from a previously approved design that included 36
luxury boxes and 180 club seats, and in fact, the design may undergo more changes. In a March
3rd, 2003 Hokie Hotline appearance, VT Athletic Director Jim Weaver said that VT was looking at three different
expansion scenarios:

1.) Renovate the existing press box and build two
additional "towers", one each towards the North and South ends. Cost: $47.8 million. (This is the currently
approved plan.)

2.) Large expansion version: Add 22 new rows on the top of the West Side stands, plus two
new floors on the press box. Cost: $72-$75 million. (No other details given.)

3.) Smaller version of option 2: Add 10 or 11 rows and put two more levels on the press
box, stretching from North to South along the top of the West stands. Cost: $62-$65 million. (No other details given.)

The athletic department was supposed to meet with the architects one more time in March,
get some questions answered and tweak the designs a little more.

The earliest VT would start construction would be if they went with the current expansion
model, which is option (1). Construction could start as soon as the end of the 2003 football season and be finished in
time for the 2005 football season.

Weaver said he was confident the West Side will be expanded, he's just not sure how, and
he hopes the decision will be made by the end of April 2003.

Lane Stadium
Expansion Summary

Year

Major Expansion Item

Est. Cost

1999

2100 seats, North end zone (complete)

$500,000

2000

3400 seats and video scoreboard, North end zone, 1596 additional "temporary" bleacher seats in South end zone
(complete)

$3,000,000

2001

582 bleacher seats at field level in North end zone (band seating); 3268 South
end zone seats torn down to begin South end zone expansion (complete)

unknown

2002

11,000 seats, including luxury boxes and club seats, South end zone (complete)

It is
believed that the Virginia Tech band (and possibly the Corps of Cadets) will be seated in these seats.

Note: the 3268 seats in the South end zone were torn down to begin South end zone
construction. With the addition of 582 seats and the removal of 3268 seats, this should bring Lane Stadium's
capacity for 2001 to 52,389.